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'Lionel Messi was highly provocative': Egypt coach reignites Argentina World Cup storm with explosive accusation
Days after accusing FIFA of favouring Lionel Messi and the defending champions, Egypt have now levelled fresh allegations against the Argentina captain himself.
Egypt's remarkable FIFA World Cup campaign ended in heartbreak against Argentina in the Round of 16, but the fallout from that dramatic encounter refuses to die down. Days after accusing FIFA of favouring Lionel Messi and the defending champions, Egypt have now levelled fresh allegations against the Argentina captain himself.
Speaking to Egyptian outlet Kora Plus, Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan claimed Messi deliberately tried to inflame tensions by approaching the Egyptian technical area during the heated knockout clash.
Hassan was asked about the footage that showed him making an "X" gesture after Messi walked towards Egypt's bench during the match. The incident had sparked widespread debate at the time.
"He's very provocative," Hassan said. "He came over like he wanted to set everything on fire, like he wanted to provoke us. They came towards us... There was even a red card. He came with the intention of provoking us."
His brother, Ibrahim Hassan, who served as Egypt's assistant coach during the tournament, also backed the claim, adding another chapter to one of the World Cup's most controversial matches.
Hossam also stood by his criticism of the officiating, insisting Egypt's dramatic collapse was influenced by refereeing decisions rather than purely footballing reasons.
"There are things beyond our control," he said. "The referee completely changed the game. Everything became chaotic. There were constant arguments with the players, yellow cards and decisions that went against us."
The Egypt coach had previously alleged that the tournament was being tilted in Argentina's favour, claims that divided opinion across the football world.
Argentina eventually won the Round of 16 clash 3-2 after producing a stunning late comeback. Egypt raced into a 2-0 lead and looked set for one of the biggest upsets of the tournament before Argentina struck three times in the final 13 minutes. The match also featured a series of controversial refereeing decisions and lengthy VAR interventions, prompting furious protests from the Egyptian camp, who maintained after the final whistle that several key calls had unfairly gone against them.
